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Arlington, Va.—One of the best steps in recovery from mental illness is a job, but the national unemployment rate for individuals receiving public mental health services is approximately 80 percent, according to a report issued by the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI).

The states with the five highest levels of unemployed persons in the public mental health care system are:

• Maine

92.6 percent

• West Virginia

91.9 percent

• Hawaii

91.4 percent

• Pennsylvania

90.6 percent

• California

90.0 percent

Approximately 60 percent of the 7.1 million people receiving public mental health services nationwide want to work, but less than 2 percent receive supported employment opportunities provided by states.

One model legislative option is for a state to focus on Individual Placement and Support (IPS).

The other is Vocational Supports (VS), representing a broader comprehensive approach, including supported education.

"NAMI wants states to make a commitment to help people with mental illness to recover," said NAMI Executive Director Mary Giliberti. "Work is a critical part of recovery. As a nation, we still have a long way to go in recognizing that linkage."

"Work is tied to a person's sense of identity, dignity and worth in our society. Even during the recession, the national unemployment rate paled next to what people in the public mental health system routinely experience. We must do better."

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